And explain why. Note I do not say record or best boxer. The boxer the biggest and best wins and if included losees to good opponents or when past prime. Ali - Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Liston, (Could include Floyd Patterson and Archie Moore), - lost to Norton and Frazier in his "prime" - I know it was after the lay off but still.. Lost to Leon Spinks Holmes and Berbick when way past prime. Tear-jerkingly Brutalized by Holmes but Holmes had to do what he had to do Beat anyone who beat him in his prime more than once. Incredible resume with some of the worlds greatest heavyweights in it. Is there better?
Well this thread sort of died on it's arse. So let me throw another little sausage on the pan! Manny Pacquaio is certainly up there. Two losses in his career (not neccessarily early either) but certainly before he became the beast he was. Win's over prime Barrerra.. Beat the legend Morales coming off a loss twice but lost to him in a previous fight. Still incredible wins. Wins over JMM an another all time great in close fights aswell as a draw. Some argue JMM won but too close for me to call a roberry in any fight. Smashed Cotto and Ricky Hatton. Smashed a past prime De La Hoya. Beat past prime Margarito and had a snoozer with Mosley. Loss to Bradley in a close fight many consider a robbery. Also looking past peak of powers. Many wins over atg's or world class fighters. 4 losses, one to an atg, one a debatle robbery, two to no names one being early in his career. Is his the best?
To Add: Ezzard Charles (Walcott, Louis, Marciano, Moore, Maxim, Bivins, Burley, only couldn't beat Marciano)
Including losses, I have little doubt that Archie Moore faced off against the strongest opposition ever: Ezzard Charles 3x, Charley Burley, Holman Williams 2x, Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, Jimmy Bivins 4x, Harold Johnson 4x, Lloyd Marshall 2x, Eddie Booker 2x, Jack Chase 5x, Floyd Patterson, Bert Lytell 2x, Joey Maxim 3x, Cocoa Kid, Bobo Olsen, Nino Valdez, Curtis Sheppard, Oakland Billy Smith, Jimmy Slade, Clarene Henry, Eddie Cotton, Bob Baker, Yvon Durelle 2x, etc. That's just stupid. Absurd level of competition from Middleweight to Heavyweight and all the way into his mid-40's. As for just wins, it has to be either Harry Greb or Sam Langford, maybe Ezzard Charles. I do think Ali should get tons of credit for having the best single-division resume in history though. Every other fighter who has a better resume than him needed to go through the best of multiple divisions to achieve that, whereas Ali only had one to work with.
Ali Charles SRL Don't sleep on Holyfield: Qawi, Tyson, Bowe, Foreman (the old version, but went on to become champ), Lewis (declared a draw but clearly lost), Moorer, Holmes (an old ass version, but still).
Holyfield and De La Hoya both fought everyone. DLH - Pac, Mayweather, Hopkins, Mayorga, Trinidad, Vargas, Mosley, Gatti, Sturm, Chavez, Camacho, Quartey, Leija, Whitaker.